Zeilboten op de Maas voor Dordrecht 1851 - 1902

This is 'Sailing Boats on the Maas near Dordrecht', an etching made by Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande. Etching is an intriguing process. A metal plate, often copper or zinc, is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance called a ground. The artist then scratches through this ground with a needle, exposing the metal. When the plate is immersed in acid, the exposed lines are 'bitten' or etched, creating grooves. The longer the plate remains in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines will be. Once the etching is complete, the plate is inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The etched lines are evocative of the industrial revolution, where machines could efficiently reproduce images, democratizing art by making it more accessible and affordable. This print speaks to how new technologies of production influenced art, moving it into a modern, reproducible era.